Lilith Thompson
"See you on the flip side, my lovelies!" History Background Lilith came into the world in the form of a combo-breaker. The fifth child born to Blanche and August Fenwick, Lilith was the first girl, putting a stop to the testosterone free-for-all only sixteen minutes after her brother Noah was born. The Fenwicks knew they were going to have twins, but not that they would be fraternal. Blanche, for one, couldn't have been happier; it was no longer a straight up boy's club in the Fenwick house. But if Blanche was expecting an easier time raising a girl versus the boys that came before, she was in for a surprise. Lilith proved to be a little spitfire, instigating fights between her brothers from the moment she was old enough to steal blocks from one and and blame it on the other. She held her own among the boys, especially against her eldest brother Tobias, who had a tendency to throw his weight around a bit more than the others, and her twin, Noah, who she was constantly following around, standing up for, or spewing some cryptic twin-speak at. Noah was the Bruce Banner to her Incredible Hulk, one half of the same whole, the brains of the operation, though never let it be said that Lilith was a slouch in the world of academia. A schemer, that's what Noah was, and Lilith was never one to let the spotlight go wasted. Aside from the typical trials and tribulations of youth, growing up was rather uneventful, no overly horrific happenings or tragedies befell the twins, the biggest issue was that they were, for lack of a better term, odd. A little too close, a little too out there, but really, quite harmless. At least at first. The twins had a tendency to be a bit on the headstrong side, especially when it came to the idea of being able to do whatever you set your mind to, and while that isn't necessarily a horrible trait to have, it most definitely took its toll on Noah. Growing up meant ultimately growing apart, as their interests and goals for the future took them in different directions. Noah was college bound, much to their parents delight, while Lilith took a more lax approach to higher education. While her brother sat in lecture halls Lilith was out finding herself, trying everything from sculpting to writing to martial arts to extreme kayaking, anything to find her niche though little of it panned out. Still, the twins would commiserate over this and that when they'd see each other at family gatherings and holidays, the biggest commiseration being Noah's dismissal from school on the grounds of being a liability, something that Lilith naturally balked at, while the rest of the Fenwick clan muttered their lack of surprise to one another under their breaths. But far be it for a set back such as that to keep the older twin out for long, if the man told him he wasn't fit for a higher education then Noah would just save the world on his own time. Lilith warned him that seeking out alternative energy sources from the comfort of his own home was perhaps not the best idea, but she knew her brother was stubborn enough to stick to a bad idea if he truly thought it was a good one. The same of which could be said about his quickie marriage to a woman named Maria, yet another thing that didn't much surprise Lilith. After all, Noah had always been more than a little impulsive. It was that impulsiveness that changed everything. Lilith didn't get the details until much later, but the instant the accident happened, she knew. Not because she got a phone call from the hospital or Noah's wife, no this was more like the cosmos taking a sledgehammer and bashing on the side of the head, a quick, sharp pang of realization, a feeling that to this day she'd be hard pressed to put into words. But it was fast, and so very sudden, and while she couldn't explain why or how, she knew something had happened to her brother, something bad. It wasn't until she showed up at his bedside at the hospital after he'd been declared stable that everything came full circle; she had awakened at the same time Noah had, the trauma he suffered enough to kick her own awakening into full gear. It didn't come as a surprise to either of the twins that they had awakened. Mrs. Fenwick had, two of her brothers had, in fact at that time the only two who hadn't were her youngest and oldest siblings. So the fact that magic existed wasn't an awe-inspiring revelation for Lilith. But the fact that she herself could do it? Now that was freaking cool as hell. She had spent all that time trying to figure out her lot in life, and it had always been there waiting in the wings. It just took her brother blasting his ass through his apartment wall from an ethanol explosion to make her realize it, a ridiculous fact they ended up joking about after the fact. She had always had a knack for science for in school, but it had never really been her passion. But after her awakening the world of discovery and, most importantly, the potential to create became more than just a passing interest. Because now it was more than just beakers and formulas on a chalkboard, now she got it. There was a whole new world at her fingertips, and Lilith fell into it easily, spurred on by her brother's enthusiasm for the same. It was a fine mesh of interests and ideals, and once again they were back to old habits, Noah scheming and plotting and playing the mastermind while Lilith egged him on, supported him, and watched his back. Their love of SCIENCE! lent itself easily to the twins finding themselves falling into ranks with the Sons of Ether, and while mom wasn't thrilled that they were so keen on the techno-wonder world, at least they weren't part of that uppity Technocracy. And all would have been well if it hadn't been for that pesky Shadow War. Lilith was content to go about her business playing god to a world of machines, but Noah was far more enthusiastic about the whole thing, seeing the war as an opportunity to fight the good fight and put his abilities to good use. What kind of sister would leave her dear twin brother to fight for himself against such tough odds? The worst kind, that's who, and no way was Lilith about to let the person she cared about the most in the world go gallivanting off towards another Bad Idea, not when the first one had quite literally exploded right in his face. So Lilith did what she had always done; backed up her brother. If he wanted to stick it to the Technocracy, well, she'd stick it to them too. In more ways than one, at that. Noah had decided that one Technocrat in particular was worlds worse than the rest, and Lilith eventually lost count of how many times he referred to Malcolm Ogden as arch-nemesis. But Lilith didn't have much interest in old Ogden, in fact she was content to stand back and let boys be boys, especially when she wasn't the only one standing off on the sidelines watching the show. One of Ogden's... friends, lackies, benefactors, partners in crime, or what have you (she never did quite get the whole story, or maybe she did but there were more interesting prospects to pay attention to) was as constant a presence at these ridiculous comic book hero showdowns between her brother and Ogden as she, and after a while Lilith had to admit that she kept showing up not only to make sure Noah didn't get lasered in half Bond-style, but to see if Ogden's Technocrat buddy was going to show up. And he did, more often than not. Paul Thompson, such a mundane, run-of-the-mill name that happened to be tacked to a man Lilith found to be anything but. It wouldn't work, of course, they fell on two different sides in a war that didn't seem to have an end in sight, this wasn't some Capulet and Montague feud here, and Lilith wasn't some dullheaded teenager with a vial of poison and a bad idea. But the Fenwick twins weren't exactly known for their subtlety or willingness to back away from something they truly wanted, and by the time the Ascension War came to and end, Lilith had herself a new last name and a son about to enter kindergarten. Some Enlightened saw this as a sign that things could change, that there could really be peace between the two sides. Others saw it as some sort of ploy or betrayal. Lilith saw it for what it truly was; she liked it, so she put a ring on it. The same of which could be said for Noah, who had also found time to tie the knot during his down time between planning up the next big move against Ogden and tuning up his robot super army. The end of the Ascension War wasn't a good thing for everyone, however, and Lilith saw it hit no one harder than her brother. Ogden had died sometime towards the end of the war, not at the hands of his archenemy Noah but from a heart attack while he was dropping the kids off at the pool, and before Noah had a chance to build up another rivalry with an equally unhinged Technocrat, the Virtual Adepts had swept in and claimed victory, putting an end to the war as a whole. For Lilith, that meant turning her attention towards things like being a wife, mother, and deciding what to do with all her new free time. For Noah, well, things didn't settle into a new routine quite so easily. Lilith knew something was amiss long before the intervention. She was supportive when Janet and Noah decided to try a "trial separation", at least that was the term her parents continued to use long after it became clear there wasn't going to be a reconciliation. Knowing this would be a big hit for her brother, Lilith did her best to be there for him, but she had a family now and Noah was in such a slump that she was often turned away with a comment about being meddlesome or sticking her nose in where it didn't belong, all things she took with a sigh and shake of her head. It was a slow but decidedly bad circle down towards the drain, one Lilith loathed to watch but didn't have the power to stop, not if Noah wouldn't accept her help. So she had to watch her other half throw himself through the ringer time and time again until things got so out of hand that wiping her hands of all of it wasn't an option any longer. After the Ascension War Lilith had taken to metalworking and sculpting, helping to fuel her need to create now that she wasn't helping Noah play god, spending a good amount of time around the art crowd, who had a tendency to showcase the very best side effects intravenous drug use had to offer. So when those signs started showing up in her twin, Lilith pooled together the family members who were willing to help and had a good old fashioned sit down with Noah, not liking the fact that she had to play the guilt card to get him to go to rehab but not knowing any other way to coax him to do so. It turned out there wasn't much coaxing that needed done. Noah willingly went of his own accord, a decision Lilith hoped was a sign that things would finally work out for her dear brother. And for a while it did. But eventually there came the phone call, I met someone, she really gets me, the usual head-over-heels spiel her twin was so enamored with dolling out, and Lilith was loathe to say she wasn't entirely surprised. After all, Noah was the crowned king of Bad Ideas, and two recovering smack addicts shacking up together straight out of rehab definitely fit the bill. Shelia was her name, and from day one Lilith wasn't a fan. There was something rotten about the woman, and all the intuition Lilith possessed was screaming at her that this woman was Bad, Bad News. She tried to tell herself it was none of her business, but the phone calls from her brother lamenting the fact that they couldn't pay rent because Shelia had spent all their funds on her next hit or any number of stories about manipulative emotional abuse started filing in on an almost steady schedule. Noah had just gotten back from the brink, had finally started to put his life back together, and here this heroin junkie had him running off to the Thompson's basement to hide and tinker like some sort of terrified whipping boy? Oh no, not on Lilith's watch. Yes, she was married, and yes, she had a child, but there had always been one man in Lilith's life that was hoisted up above the others, and if this bitch thought she was going to drag Noah back down into the dark, depressed, self-damaging depths, she had another thing coming. Lilith never intended for things to end up the way they did, but trying to talk rationally with someone doped out of their mind was a lot like talking to a wall, only that wall could spat back some truly potent vitriol. While her brother was squirreled away in her basement, Lilith had set out to pay Shelia a visit, to have a little chat that would ultimately add up to "Leave my brother alone or I'll punch you into your own asshole." Shelia didn't take too kindly to this, going off on some tangent about using Noah until the gravy train ran out, all the while tripping the light fantastic, and the more the woman spat and squawked, the angrier Lilith became. She had kept her cool during the Ascension War, there might have been blood on her brother's hands but hers were clean, she had been the bystander, the lacky to the mastermind, it was one thing to let Noah play mad scientist and defend the Traditionalist way, but this wasn't a situation that could be handled by cybernetic armies or giant laser beams. No, this was a parasite, the sort that could drain a man dry if it got half a chance, and Lilith was going to make sure it never did. Vulgar magic was hardly her forte, but that didn't mean she wasn't capable of conjuring some up, and when all was said and done the phrase 'falling into a Floyd Hole' wasn't a joke so much as a sad reality for poor Shelia. The story Noah was told was far more mundane, however. Shelia must have up and left while he was gone, no note left, cell phone left behind, no way to get a hold of her, so sad but you know how that type works. Lilith had to swallow back her guilt and put on one hell of a pokerface as she watched her brother grapple with yet another failed relationship and subsequent abandonment, and it wasn't until that moment that Lilith realized she had caused Noah as much turmoil as Shelia potentially could have. It wasn't a good feeling, not in the least, and in a desperate attempt to rectify what she'd done Lilith suggested that maybe Noah ought to come stay with her, Paul, and Russell for a while, until he got back on his feet, an offer Paul was just delighted to get on board with. Of course, "until you get back on your feet" has turned into something more akin to "an indefinite amount of time", and these days the Thompson house functions more like the set of a half-hour sitcom. Only with 75% more basement explosions. Continuing Adventures To be added. Death To be added. Personality While the term might apply to Lilith, don't call her "quirky" unless you want the dirtiest of looks and a low, angry groan of annoyance shot your way. Eccentric, odd, even weird, she'll take any of those and agree that yeah, she's probably got a few screws loose. But quirky? That's a word reserved for the Zooey Dechanels of the world, girls with elegantly disheveled hair in big sweaters who order their dessert first at a restaurant because it's just so adorably wacky. Nah, Lilith's been around way too long to play the quirky-girl game. But there's something about Lilith that keeps her off most people's list of average, ordinary, everyday dudettes. Maybe it's her tendency to laugh in situations that don't call for it. Or her general disregard for personal space. Or the too-close-for-comfort, borderline-inappropriate relationship she has with her brother. Whatever the reason, Lilith shares virtually none of the calm, demure, regal qualities her mother possesses, a fact her father laments when he considers the mannerisms of his only daughter for any length of time. She has a bit of the ra-ra-ass-kicker-riot-girl in her, though growing up as the only female in a family with five male siblings, Lilith has to carve out her niche early. Sure, she could have gone running over to mom or dad every time of her brothers got fresh, but there was no fun in that. No, fun was wailing on the boys or standing back and cackling as they went at each other. But coming from a well-to-do family meant playing the game form time to time, and Mrs. Fenwick made sure Lilith was at least taught how to fake it til you make it. Thus, when the need arises, she can clean up nice, at least until the end of the banquet or fundraiser. But it isn't all maniacal giggling and brotherly torment with Lilith. No, she has a husband and son to pass the torment onto these days, and if ever there was an Internet meme to describe Lilith, it would most assuredly be Troll Mom. Embarrassing her son Russell and seeing how far she can push her husband Paul before he thunks his head against his desk are some of her favorite past times, and she has both down to an art form. The fact her twin brother Noah lives in her basement tinkering and drawing out blueprints for giant atomic death rays and Krav Maga-practicing warrior robots only adds fuel to the dysfunctional fire. Lilith is the sort to put those she cares about first, and although she likes to get her kicks at her family's expense, she's the first to back them up when the need arises, and there are few lengths she'll go to to make sure they're all kept safe and sound. Her husband has a relatively cushy job that allows her to pursue her interest in lieu of working a nine-to-five job, which is surely a blessing to employers everywhere. She spends her free time assisting Noah with his mad scientist aspirations or creating her own mechanical wonders and works of art, some of which she sells, though the majority take up space around her home, much to the chagrin of her son and husband (really, how many gigantic metal dragon statues does a foyer really need?). Appearance To be added. Spheres * Spirit: 4 * Forces: 3 * Matter: 3 * Life: 2 Avatar -- Relations * Paul Thompson (husband) * Russell Thompson (son) * August Fenwick (father) * Blanche Fenwick (mother) * Tobias Fenwick (half-brother) * Gideon Fenwick (brother) * Lazarus Fenwick (brother) * Noah Fenwick (brother) * Jonas Fenwick (brother) * Esther Fenwick (half-sister) * Allen Dering (nephew) Quotes * "Ah, no no noooo, you fartface!" * "Doot-doo-dee-doot-doot-doot-doot-ghoooost-busteeeers..." * "To discuss the, ah, best course of action to take. Regarding the veil, that is. The hows, if you will. And whys. The hows and whys. Of the veil. Being thin. What with the crossing over... You know I'm actually gonna throw this one back to you Alyson." * "Ooo, Lily-cakes? I sound delicious, I love it." * "Once more into the fray, into the last good fight I'll ever know..." * "If it please the Counsul can we please come to a verdict 'cause right now my brother is either puking up his Cap'n Crunch in the ladies room or ripping all the hand dryers off the wall and throwing them at the mirrors and I'd reeeeeeally like to go see which route he picked." * "AHHHH! I ALWAYS WANTED A PENIS BUT NOT LIKE THIS." Category:Mage Category:Traditions Category:Sons of Ether Category:Character